SHOOTING STARS: South Shore residents help with firefly census

Thursday

Jul 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2009 at 10:36 PM

In order to tell if fireflies are declining across the region and the reasons why, the Museum of Science in Boston is reaching out to citizen scientists to assess the glowing beetles. In the past two years, 41 South Shore residents have helped the cause.

Is your summer losing some of its spark? Scientists are concerned that the number of fireflies lighting up the night sky may be falling, with factors such as pollution, development and artificial light all possibly playing a part.

MORE ON THE WEB

For more on fireflies, check out:

Museum of Science: Firefly Watch

Ohio State: The Firefly Files

National Geographic: Fireflies

Univ. of Utah: What makes a firefly glow?

Environmental Education: Summer night lights

THE MEANING OF LIGHT

All living creatures have some method to mating.

What makes fireflies unique is they use light to find each other at night.

Males flash first, typically while flying. Then it’s up to the female to respond: If she does – by lighting up – then the male can find her. If she’s not interested, she won’t light up and the male won’t be able to find her in the dark.

Females are more likely to respond when a male’s flash is brighter.

Long-term studies have shown a decline in Japan, with water pollution contributing to a 70 percent drop over three years in Southeast Asia. And there has been anecdotal evidence that fireflies may be dropping in the United States as well.

“Your hear people saying, growing up I saw fireflies all the time, now I don’t see them anymore,” said Christopher Cratsley, a firefly expert and professor at Fitchburg State College.

But scientists aren’t sure what is happening here. That’s why the Museum of Science is spearheading Firefly Watch, with its experts teaming with thousands of citizen scientists across the country – many right here on the South Shore – to conduct a pseudo-census of the flying, “glow-in-the-dark” beetles.

The effort began last year, with 1,400 participants. The number now surpasses 4,000 people from 33 states, including 41 South Shore residents. Each volunteer is asked to count the number of fireflies in one area, preferably in their backyard, and then describe that habitat.

“It is really useful over time,” said Emily Bottis, the Museum of Science’s director of information and interactive technology, who designed the Firefly Watch Web site.

Part of the program’s purpose is to get people to realize how their actions might affect the number of fireflies in the area.

For example, participants are asked how frequently they mow their yard, if they use fertilizer or pesticides, and how close the nearest body of water is.

Experts believe that fireflies are sensitive to changes in their environment, from moisture levels in the soil to anything that disturbs their habitat. Things like street lights, for instance, can harm the propagation of the species: In most cases, males fireflies light up in early summer to get females’ attention, so they can’t communicate when it is too bright.

With fireflies, there is a lot to learn – for example, they live two years (mostly in the ground as grubs), they’re beetles with wings, and there are 20 to 30 species in New England alone (and many more elsewhere).

“We are trying to get people to realize that nature is fascinating and complicated,” said Don Salvatore, science educator at the Museum of Science. “It is not just these pretty things flying around and blinking in the night.”

READ MORE about fireflies and science.

Brad Kane of the Patriot Ledger contributed to this report. He may be reached at bkane@ledger.com.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Fireflies are also known as lightning bugs or glow worms – but they’re neither flies nor bugs nor worms. They’re beetles (and not all beetles that glow are fireflies).
As beetles, fireflies have six legs, four wings and three body segments.
Firefly eggs and larvae are “bioluminescent” – as are some, but not all, adult fireflies.
Fireflies are most likely to proliferate in warm, humid areas, with Central and South America and Asia having the most species.
About 20 to 30 species of fireflies live in New England, with the Photinus the most common.
When attacked, some fireflies start to “bleed” (releasing hemolymph). The blood has a chemical that is toxic to some predators.

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